UN agency for Palestinian refugees calls for more aid to sustain operation

AMMAN, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Tuesday called for more aid to maintain its role in the Middle East.

In a press conference in Jordan's capital of Amman, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that the agency is at "a very dangerous junction" as its funds are declining.

He called on donors to provide aid in order to maintain the "vital and irreplaceable role" that the UNRWA plays in the region.

There is still no political solution to the issue of Palestinian refugees who continue to rely on the UNRWA for services and assistance that will allow them to live with dignity, he said.

Lazzarini added that the UNRWA has informed its 28,000 staff members it can not pay their November salaries on time.

Established by the UN General Assembly in 1949, the UNRWA is mandated to provide assistance and protection for some 5.6 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.